How to Make Almond Extract with Just Two Ingredients

Wondering how to make almond extract? It only takes a couple of ingredients and a little patience.

I know, it seems like ages ago that I made that batch of vanilla extract and mentioned wanting to make homemade almond extract next. Of course, I made that decision while we were out of almonds, which meant waiting until we’d had time to go to the store. Also, extracts have to steep for a long time, and I didn’t want to share my recipe until it was completely ready, so I could tell you how it turned out! What I’m trying to say here is that I finally made almond extract! Yay!

Why make extracts instead of buying them?

It takes two months for almond extract to steep, and all of that waiting can seem like a pain, so why not just pick some up at the store instead? For the same reason you cook anything! It’s cheaper to make it yourself, and you have total control over the ingredients. This recipe uses just two ingredients: organic almonds and booze. They’re ingredients you can buy at the store and that you recognize. No benzaldehyde(aka artificial almond flavor) here!

3. Give your bottle a shake, then stick it in a cool, dark place to steep. Once or twice a week, shake the bottle.

4. In two months, your almond extract will be all finished. Strain it into a fresh glass container, label and date it, and store it in a cool dark place–like the pantry–until you’re ready to use it.

Waiting two months for your extract to steep might test your patience, but once you have it this stuff lasts for a long time. If you hate waiting, you can just start a new batch when your first one is ready, so you’ll never run out!

Almond extract needs to be made with bitter almond oil not sweet almonds. Sweet almonds do not have a strong enough flavor for extract. However, bitter almonds are poisonous (cyanide) so the oil is used (possibly processed.)

Almond extract is also great if you like a little sweet alchoholic drink after a special dinner with your coffee. It makes wonderful homemade Amaretto, which recipe requires a couple of tablespoons, or a whole bottle of store bought extract. This is way, way cheaper, and the liquer is ready to drink without aging. Saves mucho big bucks!!!

I don’t see why not! Just cut them into little slices or matchsticks. I’m pretty sure the idea is to increase surface area but keep the pieces big enough to strain out with a regular strainer (rather than lots of cheesecloth).

Thanks, Eryn! You can use almond extract in baking to give cookies, cakes, cupcakes, etc a nice almondy flavor. There’s a great recipe for almond cupcakes with green tea icing in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (my favorite vegan baking book)!

Thanks, Becky! We use almond flour for most of our baking anyway since we follow the Paleo diet, so everything already has a bit of a nutty flavor to it from that to begin with. Maybe I’ll try out your vanilla extract recipe first…

[…] Kitchen Work. We all know that making everything from scratch is almost always better than anything else. It’s cheaper and you can choose what ingredients you use. I don’t use extracts often, but I might start using homemade almond extract a little more if I used this recipe! […]